Christian Dior Gives Vespa’s Signature Scooter A Fashion Makeover

The thought of a summer spent navigating the coastal paths of the Côte d’Azur, or exploring the winding streets of a charming Italian village, will prove all the more alluring next year, when Christian Dior unveils a collaboration with Vespa that will take your travel plans up a gear.

The two brands – both founded in 1946 – have come together to create a limited-edition scooter that marries their individual histories in one covetable item, set to land in Dior boutiques, as well as a selection of the Piaggio group’s Motoplex locations, next spring. The collaboration is designed to capture “the freedom of movement and expression that [Dior and Vespa] hold so dear”.

The Vespa 946 Christian Dior model sees the scooter’s retro appeal reimagined with a fashion slant, thanks to the Dior Oblique motif that adorns the seat in a Riviera-ready palette of white and navy. Coordinating accessories — a helmet, luggage box and Dior’s Book Tote — will also be available to discerning motorists ready to elevate their on-the-go wardrobe.

Christian Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri is behind the design, which brings together the Parisian couture house’s aesthetic with that of a storied brand from her native Italy. “I was very excited about this project with Vespa,” she said. “For me, Vespa is linked to my city, Rome. It’s linked to the freedom to move around the city with ease, like in the film Roman Holiday, which has left that extraordinary image of Audrey Hepburn clinging to Gregory Peck on a Vespa forever etched in our collective memory.”

She continued: “I have so many happy memories starring a Vespa. It’s how my husband and I used to get around Rome, and go to the seaside in Fregene. It’s a symbol of Italian-ness that is intricately linked to my personal history, and it’s now part of my professional life at Dior.”